The Audacity

Every two weeks or so I am publishing an essay from an emerging writer. This week, we are publishing “The Space Between My Names” by Ferdinand Ugochukwu. Ferdinand is a Nigerian writer whose work explores identity, memory, and cultural inheritance. His essays examine the intersection of personal and collective histories. He lives in Lagos. I have three names, and each one arrives like a stranger at a doorway.

If you’re ever experiencing a medical emergency and are told to go or are taken to Chicago Med, run for your life, even if you are in a bad way. Even if you have to crawl. Chicago Med is the worst hospital in the history of hospitals and it is staffed by very bad doctors who are bad at doctoring. There are three good people at Chicago Med: Sharon Goodwin, Dr. Charles and Nurse Maggie.

Let’s discuss the big scandal at the center of the novel. What did the L— family’s cancellation expose about the state of race and class in Hollywood? Many of Raj’s thoughts about post-2020 Hollywood are scathing and cynical. Is this attitude justified? In what ways do the rich people insulate themselves from discomfort? What blind spots do they willfully ignore? How was Raj’s meltdown in the O’Connor home different from performing the scene with Jim?

This novel is suffused with loneliness. Each of the characters in The Simp seem desperately lonely, yet have difficulty making real connections with the people around them. What did you think of how Sethi depicts loneliness? Why do his characters have so much difficulty making emotional connections? Who, do you think, is the loneliest character in the novel, and why? Alternatively, how does Raj’s relationship with Anthony both soothe and exacerbate that loneliness?

I love when a character in a novel is a reader. How did Raj’s constant re-reading of Vanity Fair shape his attitude toward Hollywood and the L— family? What connections did he make or fail to make between the novel and his life? Is there a book you constantly return to? What about that work keeps you coming back? Are there things you’ve picked up from a recent re-reading that you hadn’t noticed before? Do you recommend this book to others or keep it close to your chest?

The Simp opens with an insane job posting that Raj, our protagonist, becomes obsessed with, and we’re warned early on that this story will not end well. What did you think was the most egregious part of the job description? What is the most unreasonable job listing you’ve come across, or experienced yourself? With the job market as difficult as it is right now, have you had to make any compromises in order to get a paycheck or go after what you want?

Our August bookclub selection is The Simp by Roshan Sethi. We will be in conversation with Roshan on August 26th at 8 pm EST/5 pm PST. Registration is open. For newcomers, there is a bookclub FAQ if you have questions about how it all works. And this is what we will be reading for the rest of the year. We’re partnering with the lovely people at Allstora for the Audacious Book Club.

Every two weeks or so I am publishing an essay from an emerging writer. This week, we are publishing “A Gentle Touch” by Courtney Bowers. Courtney is a writer based in Austin, Texas. For her newsletter, Half Life, she writes essays exploring human nature, digital wellness, and pop culture. She has a degree in Creative Writing from Miami University (Ohio). This is her first publication.

AUDACIOUS BOOKCLUB HAPPENINGS Our August bookclub selection is The Simp by Roshan Sethi. We will be in conversation with Roshan on August 26th at 8 pm EST/5 pm PST. Registration is open. For newcomers, there is a bookclub FAQ if you have questions about how it all works. And this is what we will be reading for the rest of the year. We’re partnering with the lovely people at Allstora for the Audacious Book Club.

I first learned of Cambridge University sociology professor Jason Arday a few weeks ago when I read an article about his life, career, accusations of plagiarism and alleged fabulist tendencies. I didn’t take the plagiarism accusations particularly seriously because in recent years, there has been a disturbing pattern of Black academics being accused of …